Knowing when to harvest is one of the biggest skills a grower can learn. Breeder flowering times are a guide, but the plant itself tells you when it is ready. Here is what the Potent Roots team looks for.

Get a closer look

Trichomes are the tiny crystal-like glands covering the buds. You will need a jeweler loupe or a small pocket microscope, around 30x to 60x, to see them clearly.

Clear, cloudy and amber

• Clear: still developing. Too early to harvest.
• Cloudy or milky: at or near peak. Many growers harvest when most trichomes are cloudy.
• Amber: maturing further. More amber usually means a heavier, more relaxing effect.

Check the buds, not the leaves

Sugar leaves often turn amber sooner than the buds. Look at trichomes on the calyxes of the buds themselves for an accurate read.

Check multiple spots

Top colas usually ripen faster than lower buds. Check several places on the plant before you make the call.

Other clues

Most of the pistils, the little hairs, will have darkened and curled in. The plant may slow down on drinking water. Use these signs together with trichomes, not instead of them.

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